Silver Thread
by nebbyJen
Summary: Carson comes down with a mysterious illness and the team helps find a cure. completed
1. Chapter 1

**Silver Thread **by NebbyJen

Summary: Carson becomes mysteriously ill and the team joins the search for a cure. (Completed)

Season/Spoilers: Season 3 (pre-Sunday) with slight mentions pertaining to 38 Minutes and GUP

Category: the team, Carson, h/c, angst, friendship

Ratings: Teen

Author's Notes: This fic was won by Jess on the savecarsonbeckett campaign and she requested a whumper, so here it is. I'm a little rusty and still don't have the writing groove back, but this was kind of fun to put together. Thanks to Gaffer for the Beta.

**Part 1**

Tidy was not one word that would currently describe Carson's usually pristine infirmary. The polished floor was littered with various signs of nature, along with four sets of military issue muddy bootprints. The examination beds were ruffled but thankfully all empty except for one remaining occupant. And it was this individual that sat smiling expectantly while twirling a dead leaf back and forth between his fingers, waiting for the word that he could go.

"You're all set, Colonel. Everything looks good; all tests have come back clean." Carson paused to give the filthy officer a wary glance and crinkled sniff. "Although, as for your own personal hygiene, I'll recommend to you what I said to the rest of your team. Perhaps a long shower _before_ you head off to the mess hall is in order."

Doing his best to look wounded as he flicked a piece of mud off his vest, knowing that the physician's scowl grew deeper each time he'd done that so far, Sheppard shrugged. "What? Let's see you spend four days in the middle of nowhere, without water, and nothing but nature and leaves to keep you company, and still come out smelling like a rose."

"Aye, lad. If only I wasn't needed here, waiting to patch you up on every other one of your returns. Now," stepping back with a gesture to the doorway, the physician nodded, "off with you to the shower before my sense of smell is permanently damaged."

Not willing to let on how great that actually sounded, Sheppard merely raised a brow and smiled, slowly swinging his feet back and forth. "Doc, I'm hurt. Giving me the bum's rush so soon? I just got here." A few more stray leaves and a clump of dirt fell from his field jacket as he tossed it over his shoulder.

"Well, if you really feel the need to stay, perhaps Nurse Flockhart might be free to give you a spongebath."

"Flockhart?" The threat caused brought about a nervous cough and exaggerated shudder. Unless they were supermodels, six foot-two nurses were scary no matter where they might be from. "I thought you shipped him back on the Daedalus."

This time it was Carson's turn to smile. Hands settled in the deep pockets of his white lab coat, he shifted lazily to rest one hip against the opposite bed. "No, it appears Julius decided to stay." And then the physician added with his own raised brow and a slight shrug, "Seems he likes it here."

Quick as a wink, the bed was vacated and the discarded pack from the floor retrieved. "Carson, good seeing you. Must do this again sometime." Retreating with a mock salute while keeping his back to the door, the team leader mentally activated it to open behind him, and made his escape... but not before adding, "Don't call me, I'll call you."

His ward once more empty, Carson merely stood still a moment, mischief making his blue eyes twinkle before he chuckled. Kicking at the clump of dirt, and then eyeing the trail of debris left by the entire team, he tapped his ear piece, "Julius, lad, could you bring a broom to the examination room?"

oOo

The shower was heaven four days in the making. Hot streaming water pounded over tired muscles, leaving a circle of dark muddy water to collect at Sheppard's feet. When pieces of leaves threatened to clog the drain, the tired colonel pushed them aside with his big toe. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes while resting his head against the front. It hadn't been a hard mission, just a physically demanding one that had left all of them thankful to get back to Atlantis.

Denying the deep pull of sleep, it was the need for food, indicated by the gnawing pangs inside his stomach, which encouraged him to step out. Draped in a towel, he used a free end to rub the droplets from his hair before tossing it to the floor to land haphazardly over the top of the stench riddled uniform. A short time later, dressed in boxers and a black t-shirt, he impatiently pulled several drawers open in search of socks.

"Oh, come on. I know I had at least one more pair before leaving."

Giving his pack a shove out of the way with his barefoot, he ignored several items that brushed against his exposed ankle, for he'd triumphantly discovered the missing items on the bottom of his closet floor.

The mess scattered throughout his quarters would have to wait until later. Now clean, dressed, and starving for something other than tasteless food from a pouch, he went to join the rest of his team.

oOo

Rodney had pushed his empty tray away and slouched comfortably with half a cup of lukewarm coffee in hand, feet resting wearily crossed at the ankles on an empty chair. Across from him, a healthy portion of Teyla's fruit salad remained uneaten, for she'd run out of steam and stopped to prop her chin in her palm, her brown eyes closed as she yawned widely. And Ronon had two empty plates stacked on top of each other and was busy scraping the remains off a third by the time Sheppard dropped into an open seat with a few odds and ends placed on his tray.

Nobody spoke, each lost in his or her own thoughts until Ronon broke the stillness by clanking the now empty plate on top of the others. "You gonna eat that?" he asked, eyeing the uneaten apple in front of Sheppard.

"Touch it and die."

"You could try, old man."

The comment garnered the desired effect as Sheppard looked up to meet the runner's smirk. "Old man? I could take you…" his words abruptly cut off by Rodney's sudden choking on a swig of coffee. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing." The scientist stood, albeit a bit unsteadily. Using his foot to shove the chair noisily back to the table, he glared at the rest of the team through half-lidded eyes, rolled his shoulders, and then growled, "I'm going to bed." Whatever else he muttered after that was lost in the deep inhale of a lung filled yawn that lasted until he left the room.

Teyla was next. Rising to her feet with a quiet sigh and a shrug, she waved slightly to the two remaining members before following after Rodney. Practically colliding face first with Carson on her way out, she somehow managed to weave gracefully around him at the last second and disappeared out into the hallway.

The dark haired physician glanced to the others at the close call then continued on to the large urn filled with coffee. There was one chocolate covered donut left on the nearby tray and he claimed it before carrying his steaming mug of coffee back to the table. Taking up Teyla's vacated seat, he eyed both men who were watching him. "What are you two still doing here?" he asked in between sips.

Sheppard reached for his apple, only to come up empty. "Just got here myself," he grumbled in disgust as the large man beside him took a bite out of the missing piece of fruit. "What did I tell you?"

Ronon took another bite, the apple now half gone. He chewed twice then swallowed before answering, "Touch it and die."

Pulling the few items remaining on his tray closer to himself, Sheppard lifted the top off his sandwich, stared at the slice of cold unidentifiable lunchmeat and wilted lettuce before dropping it back on his plate. "Yeah, that means hands off," he huffed in disgust. Gesturing to the pile of dirty dishes before the runner, he then pointed to the chow line, "They run out of food? Why don't you go chew on a fork?"

"Apple tastes better." With a smirk, Ronon did pick up the fork to pry a seed free that was stuck between his teeth.

Carson tried conceal a chuckle with the back of his hand but knew he'd failed when a pair of dark green eyes glared at him from across the table. "Now Colonel, perhaps this will help." He held out the donut and was startled when both men made a grab for it, though Sheppard was the winner.

"Can't believe McKay missed this," Sheppard mumbled around a mouthful of pastry.

"I think this last trip wore him out. He only insulted me a handful of times during his post mission exam." Propping his feet on an empty chair, Carson rested one hand on the table wrapped around his mug and draped the other across his abdomen. "If you didn't find anybody while you were gone, what took you so bloody long to get back?"

The donut gone, and now tipped back with his fingers locked behind his neck, Sheppard glanced to the remaining teammate beside him. "Kinda got lost," he finally answered with a yawn.

Dex snorted. "Not my fault."

"Hey, it was all those trees, and rocks, and weeds. It all looked alike down there."

Carson shifted forward, both elbows on the table as he turned his mug back and forth between his palms. "Which leaves me with the question I've wanted to ask since you came back: If you were in a forest, how did you get so filthy?"

"Earlier in the day McKay had picked up some odd energy readings outside of the camp and next thing you know heads off to who knows where without telling anyone. By the time Teyla noticed him missing, it was going to get dark soon and we had to go find him and drag him back. Only problem was he'd fallen in a hole."

Seeing the look on the physician's face, Sheppard held up his hand to stop any comments. "He was fine, Doc. Never stopped bitching and moaning the entire time it took us to get him out. Once back at camp, we checked him over head to toe and turns out he didn't even chip a fingernail."

Mentally making a note to see the scientist again before turning in, Carson shook his head, "This still doesn't explain the mud. You said you didn't find any water."

"As near as Rodney could figure, after his little trip underground, that it was all subsurface. He was chest deep in some pretty wet mud before we pulled him free."

"Yet another reason I prefer to stay here while the lot of you goes traipsing off world. I can't imagine his claustrophobia helped him while being stuck."

"Actually, the sun was shining and it came down through the trees no problem. We could see him fine when we looked down in the hole. It wasn't that bad."

The picture that was slowly forming in Carson's mind of the situation began to raise more questions. "Just how far down was Rodney?"

Sheppard shrugged and looked to Ronon. "What would you say? Fifteen? Twenty feet?"

Ronon nodded. "You used about twenty feet of rope going down."

"Why did you have to go down and get him? Why didn't he just climb out when you sent the rope down?"

"Doc, you know what Rodney's like when he's unhappy. I went down, hooked him up, and then waited while Ronon and Teyla pulled free. Gave me a chance to find where he'd dropped his LSD."

Carson heard enough. Pushing his chair back, he made to leave but paused a moment. "There was nothing down there, right? No snakes, critters, bugs? Nothing to cause any trouble?"

Sheppard closed his eyes to recall. "Not that I saw. Mainly some roots hanging down, a few rocks, and lots of mud. Oh, maybe..." he blinked and looked up, "there were a couple of little spiders, but I didn't tell Rodney. Didn't need to have him freak out."

"Aye, that wouldn't have gone well. Were there any on him, or you for that matter?"

"Nope. I don't think they liked the mud."

This time Carson did make it to his feet. Giving them both a wry grin, he shook his head and chuckled. "Lads, amazing as it may be, it sounds as though you've actually stayed out of trouble this time; I'll need to make a note of that in my log to prove to you in the future that it is possible to come back in one piece. Although next time, try to avoid the mud puddles. You left a terrible mess in my infirmary." Tucking his chair in under the table, he picked up his mug. "I might as well check in on Rodney before turning in myself. I suggest you both get some rest before I see you about tomorrow."

"'Night, Carson," Sheppard called out to the physician as he walked away, who in turn waved his mug in the air in acknowledgement.

oOo

Rodney had collapsed across his bed landing flat on his back with his left arm draped over his eyes. Too tired to even worry about turning on the lights, his muscles still twitching from the unappreciated four day wilderness hike, he allowed himself two seconds to relish the mattress beneath him before his soft snores filled the silence of his room. So why was it, after what felt like mere minutes of sleep, that someone had the audacity to page his quarters?

"Go away," he mumbled as his hand flopped to the nightstand, scrabbling for his earpiece. Eyes still closed, he successfully located the apparatus and tucked it in place. "Unless Atlantis is sinking, leave me alone," he grunted.

"Rodney, unlock your door." There was no mistaking the rich accent of the physician.

The scientist popped one eye open to stare at the ceiling. "Am I dying?"

After a slight pause on the other side there was a chuckle. "No."

That's all Rodney needed to hear. "Fine then. Take your sheep peddling somewhere else, I'm trying to sleep," he mumbled before dropping the earpiece to the floor.

A moment later the door to his quarters slid smoothly open allowing Carson entrance. "Thank you, Radek," the physician acknowledged quietly over his own earpiece as he walked noiselessly across the room. Mentally switching the lights on to 'dim', he stepped over the pile of discarded grimy clothing and mud caked boots, then pushed the abandoned pack aside before resting his hip on the side of Rodney's bed. The snoring man before him was lost in the sleep of the dead and Carson figured it would take more than a slight exam to wake him.

A quick check of the scientist's hands, face, and neck revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Skin tone, temperature, and respiration all appeared normal. How Rodney had dodged the bullet and walked away free of any injury or complication was a miracle that Carson was willing to accept. "You might try making a habit of this," he muttered under his breath.

The only reply he received was a mumbled grunt from the scientist as he rolled over, his loose hand smacking the physician's side in an attempt at locating a cover, and ending up tugging the fabric of the lab coat closer instead. "Sorry, lad, but you're not my type," Carson quipped. Reaching over the edge of the bed, he located a discarded blanket and shook it loose out over Rodney. It was the sound of something small hitting the floor that made him look down and spy the forgotten earpiece.

"Can't leave that lying around," he said to himself and reached to grab it. For only a hint of a second he thought he felt something brush across the back of his right hand and jerked to look down. In the sparse lighting the only thing he saw visible was the earpiece. Picking it up, he made sure to deposit it on the nightstand before he left.

oOo

The mess hall was unusually loud the next morning as Atlantis didn't have any teams off world and the latest batch of mail from the Daedalus was being passed out amongst the crew. Boisterous rousing between a dozen or so Marines involved a newly acquired football being launched across the room, narrowly missing the senior staff gathered at the furthest corner.

"Colonel," Rodney complained when a chair jammed into the back of his, causing hot coffee to slosh across the table, "can't you tell your children to play outside?"

"They're just letting off a little steam, McKay. Cut 'em some slack."

A second jarring from a young corporal to the back of Rodney's seat had the colonel earning a heated gaze from the scientist before he abruptly stood up, his now empty mug in hand. "I have work to do," McKay snapped. Cutting angrily across the surrounding mayhem for a refill to be enjoyed back in relative calm of his lab, he practically ran into Carson in the doorway. "You don't want to go in there," he warned.

Too tired to play games, and having woken up with a headache, the physician sighed heavily. "Why's that?"

Before Rodney could answer, another perfect spiral threaded through the air in their direction, only to be intercepted by two burly sergeants that could give Dex a run for his money when it came to size. Unable to stop in time due to momentum, they plowed into the two doctors, taking both to the floor in a tangled pile of arms and legs that slid across the exterior hallway, coming to an undignified stop against the far wall.

The noise level instantly increased a notch with the spreading news surging like wildfire throughout the mess hall. Many scrambled to their feet to either assist or view what happened, blocking the senior staff in their seats.

"Everyone, sit down and shut up!" Sheppard bellowed from his new position standing atop of the table he'd previously been at eating breakfast. Leaping down, he charged across the room with Teyla and Ronon right behind. By the time they'd made it to the hallway, the two military men were on their feet, several others leaning away from the pair, leaving McKay and Beckett motionless on the floor.

Sheppard's hand activated his comm. as he dropped to his knees, "Medical emergency times two outside of the mess hall!" Not waiting for a response he pressed his fingers to McKay's neck, and then reached for Beckett. Both men were breathing and it was Rodney who stirred first.

"Ugh," he groaned, his hand going to his head before his eyes popped open. "What the… Carson!"

"Take it easy, Rodney. He's right here beside you," Sheppard cautioned with a hand on the scientist's chest to keep him from getting up. But his attempt to stop movement was futile, his hand shoved irritably away.

"What the hell did you two idiots do?" Rodney demanded, glaring at the men uncomfortably standing off to the side as he pushed himself up. He didn't wait for an answer, instead turning to the silent physician beside him. "Carson? Hey," he said, tapping Beckett's pale face.

"Stop." Carson's weak plea, followed by him curling into a tight ball, his right arm protectively clutched to his chest, caused the others to lean forward in concern. "Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick," he moaned

"No you're not, Doc. Just take it easy and breathe through it. The guys must have knocked the wind out of you pretty good. Hate to admit it, but it happened to me from time to time after the first few sparring lessons with Teyla."

Sheppard's attempt at humor fell flat when the physician suddenly gasped and shuddered before his stomach forced what little it contained out in an abrupt heave. Immediately, Sheppard caught Carson by the shoulders, offering support as the physician continued to gag and then collapse weakly back against the officer. Not quite sure what was going on, he glanced to Rodney for some sort of explanation as to what might be wrong with their CMO and noticed for the first time the large wet stain across the scientist's chest. Frowning, he carefully rolled Carson to find the same stain across the front of his white labcoat. "Coffee?"

Rodney's gaze followed Sheppard's, a look of horror washing over his face in realization. "I was taking it back to my lab." Shifting to sit with help from Teyla, he tried to get a better look at Carson's tucked arm without touching it. "Did you get burned? Is that what's wrong with your hand?"

"Bloody hurts," came the raw reply pressed out between clenched teeth. His face pale and sweating, his body shaking with fine tremors, Carson was visibly in excruciating pain.

"Med team should be here any second. Won't be long now," Sheppard encouraged, his hold still keeping the physician from lying on the floor. Looking to Dex, he nodded down the hallway. "See if you can get them to pick up the pace."

Ready to do anything to help, the runner hesitated a moment, his focus on the physician. "I could take him."

"I don't think so. The hit he took was pretty hard and we don't know what's wrong."

No more needed to be said before Ronon cleared a path through the crowd and disappeared.

There was a steady murmur surrounding the team members that remained on the floor. Between the continued low moan emanating from Carson to the look of tight-lipped tension radiating from the scientist's face, Sheppard's concern grew. "How are you doing? Hurt anywhere?" he asked Rodney.

"No." McKay absently plucked at his wet shirt but only scowled. "Worry about Carson." The press of the onlookers getting too close, his temper flared at the expense of his barely tolerable headache, "Don't you people have jobs to be at?"

Teyla rose smoothly to her feet while keeping one hand on Rodney's shoulder. "Dr. McKay is correct; you must leave so that there is room for the medical assistance." She might not be of the Earth military, but all understood her place on Sheppard's team and quietly dispersed.

"Oh sure, now they leave. Probably all know you could kick their..."

"Rodney," Sheppard interjected, putting a stop to the rant before it started. Feeling Carson shift slightly, he looked down to see slivers of blue looking towards the scientist. "Hey doc, how ya' doing?"

The blue disappeared behind closed lids. "Bloody awful," he replied no louder than a whisper.

"Were you sick before you got to the Mess?"

Carson nodded slightly, his eyes tight with pain. "Headache. Sore."

Sheppard frowned. "You looked fine when you left to check on McKay last night."

Rodney glanced between the pair confused. "When were you in my room? What were you doing there?"

"He was worried about you, Rodney. I kind of let it slip about you falling in the mud and he wanted to make sure you were all right." Seeing McKay's irritation ebb, he focused back on Carson. "Did you wake up sick?"

Another slight nod.

Before he could ask any more questions, they spotted Ronon coming down the corridor followed by multiple personnel carrying various equipment and others pushing a pair of gurneys. One of the newest physicians to Atlantis dropped to her knees beside Carson and instantly was all business, listening attentively as Sheppard relayed what little he knew as to what might be part of the problem. Amidst protests from Rodney that he could walk and didn't need to be pushed back like an invalid, the doctors were promptly loaded and rushed to the infirmary, leaving Sheppard, Teyla, and Ronon once more designated to the position of waiting for answers.

oOo


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

From his bed on the other side of the room, Rodney watched all the activity surrounding Carson with a concerned eye. It reminded him of an anthill with nurses scurrying back and forth, each carrying out a new order given by Prater. IVs were hung, cold packs were tucked around the injured hand, and something was quickly injected into the clear tubing when Carson suddenly cried out weakly while batting away the hands trying to help him. And then his view was cut off, the screen around the bed pulled shut.

Restless, his own injuries leaving him uncomfortable, he sat up and picked absently at the edge of his blanket. This was when he wished Sheppard were allowed in the infirmary to wait with him. Because all though he wasn't trapped on the other side of the door waiting for any news, it was actually worse to be this close and not be able to ask questions. With a resigned sigh, he settled back against his pillows, carefully folding his arms while trying to avoid the sticky cream spread across the coffee burn on his upper chest.

"Dr. McKay?"

The voice at his side startled him. "Hmmm?" he mumbled, tearing his gaze away to find Flockhart waiting patiently.

"I'm to take you to x-ray."

"X-ray? What do I need to go there for?"

"From what we've been told, you were unconscious for a few moments after being sacked like a rookie quarterback, and Dr. Prater wants to make sure there is nothing else wrong with your head other than an oversized ego. You ought to know it's standard procedure by now, you've had them often enough." Julius undid the locks on the bed wheels and pushed Rodney across the room, slowing as they passed Carson so the scientist might catch a glimpse of his friend.

The slight ribbing was supposed to be a distraction but didn't work. "What's going on with Carson," Rodney demanded once they cleared the room and he was settled on the platform.

Julius held up a finger signaling the scientist to wait while he adjusted the controls on the apparatus. Once finished, he returned. "All I can tell you so far is that she's ordered the works. Head to toe scans, CBC and urinalysis to check for any abnormalities…"

"Abnormalities? What kind of abnormalities?"

"Colonel Sheppard stated that Dr. Beckett was fine last night and that the doctor told him he woke this morning feeling sick. Perhaps he came in contact with something between the mess hall and his quarters."

"He came to see me last night." When the nurse stared at him and finally blinked, Rodney snapped, "Get your mind out of the gutter. He was making sure I was okay after he found out I… I fell off world."

"Dr. McKay, what you and Dr. Beckett do is none of my business," the large man needled with a grin while helping move the slow moving man back to the bed. With orders to keep McKay distracted, he took his time straightening the bed covers and then checking the results of the scans. The impatient huff and glare from his patient let him know that he wouldn't be able to keep up the ruse much longer.

"Dr. McKay, I'll make you a deal…"

Rodney glanced his way, curiosity getting the better of him.

"I'll let Colonel Sheppard in to sit with you, but you must be quiet." Seeing a protest form, Julius held up a finger to stop him. "I said quiet. And, you need to rest and not bother the team taking care of Dr. Beckett." Giving the scientist a minute to stew over his words, he mimicked McKay's folded arms. "Do we have a deal?"

Rodney let a good ten seconds go by before he answered. "Deal."

"Good." Without making another sound, Julius had him back in the main ward, parked once again in the spot he'd vacated earlier. A chair was brought and left at the far side of the bed, away from Beckett's area, before Sheppard was escorted across the room.

"Hey Rodney, how ya' doing, buddy?" the dark haired man asked softly as he tugged the chair closer. "Nice to see you're not hooked up to any of the toys in here so that must mean you're going to live."

McKay rolled his eyes and lifted a brow in the direction of the large nurse standing at the foot of his bed.

"Colonel, Dr. McKay sustained a mild concussion and first degree burns to his chest. Dr. Prater wants to keep him under observation in case he begins to show similar signs as to Dr. Beckett's condition, since he was the last one in contact with the doctor before he became ill." Seeing Sheppard frown and glance back and forth between McKay and then Beckett's curtained off area, Julius added, "It's just a precaution."

"Hey, uh, Flockhart, how long before you know anything?" Sheppard asked when Julius turned to leave.

"Sorry, colonel, but I don't have any answers for either of you. Until all the test results are in, you'll just have to wait." With that he left only to be seen moments later pushing Beckett's bed, accompanied by another nurse, towards the scanning equipment.

Being left with a strangely silent McKay made Sheppard uneasy. "He's gonna be okay. You know Carson, a little of the medical voodoo, as you like to call it, and he'll be right as rain."

Instead of answering, Rodney only moved lower on his bed. His pounding headache from earlier had yet to leave, even with the dose of painkillers he'd been given after his exam, and now he could actually feel his pulse throbbing behind his eyeballs. Giving in to the need to shut out the bright lights, he closed his eyes but refused to sleep. His mind going a mile a minute, he cracked one eye to spy Sheppard watching him before he let it close. "Tell me again why he came to my quarters last night."

"Like I said earlier, I told him about you falling in the mud. When he got the full details, he went all doctorish and got worried. Said he wanted to check on you again before he turned in."

"But he was fine?"

"Yeah. Sat with Ronon and me, had a little coffee, and then left."

That didn't satisfy Rodney's curiosity and he forced opened both eyes, pleased to find the lights had been dimmed. A quick glance to Sheppard and he saw the colonel tap his finger to his head. "I had my post mission exam and he cleared me. Why'd he suddenly feel the need to check on me again?"

Sheppard shifted on the plastic chair in an attempt at finding a comfortable position. Stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles, he propped his shoulder blades on the back of the seat and let his own eyes drift shut before answering. "I told him I saw some spiders," he said causally, trying to make it not seem like a big deal.

The expected reaction was instantaneous. Headache momentarily forgotten, Rodney sat straight up, his fingers swiping at phantom bugs crawling on his arms before he groaned and sagged back with a hand to his forehead. "Where? When did you see spiders?"

Waving his hand in a shushing manner, Sheppard signaled his friend to pipe down. "Knock it off, before Flockhart comes back and kicks me out." The red-faced scowl unhappily aimed his way demanded attention. "Look, there were a few climbing around down in the hole." Definitely not the right thing to say as the blue eyes locked on him grew larger. "None were on you, I checked."

"Oh, that's comforting to know." Rodney held out his hands and flipped them back and forth, and then in a move that looked almost physically impossible, he twisted his arms to check his elbows. "I was down in that hole for an hour before you tore yourself away from cleaning your gun to come ambling through the woods to find me. I didn't see any spiders."

His own temper rising, Sheppard held it in check. "First off, you wouldn't have been alone if you'd stayed at camp like you were supposed to. All you had to do was tell me that you wanted to check out something and one of us would have gone with you. And secondly, you didn't see any spiders because you were in the middle of the mud and they blended in with the walls of the hole."

For a second Rodney looked convinced before the tight distrusting squint was back. "But I climbed up the side to get out."

"Yes, you did and I'm really impressed at how well you did. Even Teyla was saying…"

"Cut the crap. Try a stall on someone who hasn't already perfected it. What kind of spider?"

"I didn't bring one home in a jar to keep as a pet, Mc-Kay," the pilot drawled. "They were brown with eight legs and that's about all the looking I did."

Rodney grew quiet and Sheppard knew the scientist was mulling something over. "What?"

"What if Carson got bit by a spider that somehow we brought back with us? What are some of the signs of a spider bite?"

Sheppard leaned forward, following Rodney's logic. "Depends on the spider, and everything we know isn't exactly from this galaxy." He paused a second, scratched his chin as he scanned the room he'd been in only the day before giving the physician a hard time. "Carson did say that we left his infirmary a mess."

Rodney's eyes traveled to the floor and then back up. "My gear's still dumped on the floor of my quarters."

"So's mine."

The blanket from the bed hit the floor when the scientist made to get up, only to be stopped by Sheppard suddenly standing in front of him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Woah! Where do you think you're going?"

"To catch a spider."

"No, you are going to stay here," Sheppard said with a firm push, causing McKay to scoot further back on the bed. "The term 'concussion' ring a bell? Because not too long ago, you got your bell rung pretty good." He could see the protest forming. "Plus," he paused, a nod towards the other side of the room, "with you in here, you can keep an eye on Beckett and let us know what's going on."

"Colonel, right now we don't even know his problem is from a spider bite."

"That's right, McKay, we don't. So you stay here, and let Ronon, Teyla and I go on the little bug hunt."

"You do remember that there is an entomologist on my team? A Doctor whateverhisnamis," Rodney said with a rolling hand motion, "that Elizabeth got from the SGC after…"

"Rodney, we'll be careful."

"Fine. Just…you know the bugs here…" He touched his neck but didn't finish what he was going to say before he slowly leaned back into his pillows. They both knew what he was thinking.

On his feet, Sheppard smirked as he tugged his collar up to his chin. "Don't worry, I'll send Ronon in to look first."

"Yeah, about that." Rodney shifted looking uncomfortable. "I haven't spent a lot of time in my room lately. It's not exactly…"

"What? Left your porn lying out and you want me to hide it before Teyla sees it?" The dirty look was so worth receiving the middle finger salute over.

oOo

The trio, dressed in full off world protective gear and leather gloves, armed with plastic containers and each carrying one of Teyla's fighting sticks, stood outside Rodney's quarters.

"Okay, I'm only going to say it one more time," Sheppard's words were aimed at the runner. "If there is a spider, we need it alive. Scraping bug guts of the bottom of your boot isn't going to help us so use the sticks to push stuff aside when you look." Putting his thumb and forefinger together, he held up his hand. "The ones I saw were about this big. Ready?"

Teyla nodded and Ronon looked bored.

"Good." Reaching for the door controls, he paused. "Rodney said it might be a little messy." He activated the panel and stood back when the doors opened before shaking his head at the sight. Dirty clothes, unmade bedding, manuals, half eaten sandwiches, empty coffee mugs with rings on the bottom, and abandoned off world gear lay scattered over every inch of the room. "Can't say mine's any neater," he admitted, "but at least mine smells better."

"Where do we look first?" Teyla asked after she stepped in slowly and began poking at the pile of discarded mud covered clothing and boots.

"Well, figure the wall of the hole was dark; imagine they probably stay out of the light. We should probably check to see if any are hiding under the clothes or along the edge of the furniture." Using his stick, Sheppard pushed the muddy pack over and tipped the contents to spill out across the bed. Dried mud, dead leaves, empty MRE pouches, a notepad, and flashlight tumbled out, but no spider.

Ronon was poking around the edge of the bed, his face crinkled in disgust before he stopped and leaned down for a closer look. "Sheppard, give me some light."

With McKay's flashlight in hand, he aimed it over the runner's shoulder and lit up a cone shaped web woven back in the corner between the nightstand and the bed. "Is it empty?"

"Looks like it." Giving it a jab for good measure, nothing came out.

"At least now we know one is in here somewhere." Sheppard used the flashlight to trace along the edge of the bed and then the wall. He didn't see any other webs.

Teyla, meanwhile, was spearing one piece of laundry at a time, giving it a hard shake, then depositing it on the bed. With half the floor cleared she stopped and hunkered down to get a better look at something that caught her attention. "Colonel."

Ronon and Sheppard both stepped around the bed at the same time with Sheppard shining the light on what she'd found. There on the floor was the squashed, dried out remains of a small brown spider.

"I didn't do it," Ronon grunted and earned himself a dirty look from his teammates. "Just saying…"

"McKay must have stepped on it this morning or maybe even Carson last night." Sheppard shot a glance to the desk. "Ronon, grab me Rodney's SGC ID card." The laminated plastic made the perfect tool to scrape and scoop the remains up with before dropping the pieces inside one of the containers they'd brought with them.

Holding the pieces up to the light of the window, Sheppard gave it a small shake, then looked around the rest of the disarray surrounding them. "Well, let's see if any of its friends decided to come along for the ride. No leaving until we go over every inch, can't chance there being any more in here."

oOo

Carson couldn't remember ever feeling this miserable. Not only did he ache from head to toe with his right arm actually throbbing with every beat of his heart, but he was cold, and then hot, and then cold again. His stomach rolled with that queasy feeling you get after having had the flu for a day, and he was certain that if he opened his eyes that they might actually explode. Hating to move, much less having to make any kind of noise, he attempted to use his tongue to locate any moisture in his dry mouth but only found the cottony foul residue that was usually a sign left behind from a non-rebreather mask.

"Dr. Beckett?" a voice called to him from what sounded like at the end of a long tunnel. Fighting his way up through the fog, he heard more voices and tried to latch on to one that might be familiar, but they all slipped and swished like someone was playing with the speed and volume. That was until someone touched his left arm and spoke directly into his ear.

"Carson, time to wake up and shake some bones. The sheep got loose from the pen and Mother burned the haggis."

Rodney. Not sure if he actually said the name or just grunted, the effect was the same when the slight touch to his arm became a firm grip. And then a small piece of cold heaven was placed on his tongue and he held it there, letting the ice slowly melt and trickle back towards his throat.

The other voices were talking again and this time Carson was able to anchor on the grip to his arm, forcing his muddled mind to pay attention to what was actually being said.

"Dr. McKay, you were told that you could remain in the infirmary as long as you stayed in bed, out of the way of the medical staff."

"Look, I understand that you're new here…"

Prater, Carson thought, going head to head with Rodney. The fog in his head growing thick again, he used what little energy he had and pushed it aside to remain awake.

"…but you should know that Colonel Sheppard and I have an idea as to what might be wrong with him."

"Dr. McKay. Rodney," the patronizing tone interrupted the scientist's rant, "I understand you want to help your friend, I do. But neither of you is a physician, and if you can't stay where you are supposed to then perhaps I should have a nurse escort you back to your quarters."

"You aren't listening to me," Rodney snapped angrily.

There was the sound of feet moving. "Nurse, please escort Dr. McKay…"

"Don't even think about it." If Carson could smile, he would have because the grip remained on his arm. The warning tone was unmistakable and things were about to get very ugly. Too bad, he mentally rambled, he'd really liked Terri Prater, but if she was unwilling to step out of the box and listen to other options, perhaps she should return to Earth.

"Nurse Flockhart, go find someone from Security."

"In all your little tests that you've been running for the past few hours, have you found any unknown toxins?"

"There have been some abnormalities. We are breaking them down now so that they can be identified."

"And if your database doesn't contain an answer because it's something that has yet to be identified, what then? You let Carson suffer, possibly die because…"

"I'm not about to let that happen, Doctor. It is apparent that Dr. Beckett came in contact with something within the past 24 hours on Atlantis…

"Like a spider?"

"There are no spiders on Atlantis."

A new voice spoke up from further away. "Yeah, doc, actually there are."

"Sheppard, oh thank god. Dr. Mike here is about as clueless as Kavanaugh."

"Kavanaugh, huh? See he's working on your good side, Doc." A second pat to the arm Rodney had been holding gave Carson an idea of where Sheppard was standing.

"How's Beckett doing?"

"I think he's awake. The monitor picked up not too long ago and he took some ice."

"Sweet."

The fog was returning quickly and it was getting harder for Carson to stay awake. The mention of spiders brought back pieces of his conversation from the night before and he groaned. Instantly there was another pat on his arm.

"It's okay, doc, we got it."

"Colonel Sheppard," Prater interrupted the pair, "what makes you think there are spiders on Atlantis?"

"Well, first off, Teyla found this…" there was a hush from around him and Carson really wished he could open his eyes to see, "that we found in McKay's quarters."

"Tupperware? You put it in Tupperware? Wait, it's dead. Who stepped on it?"

"That's how we found it, so either you did, or Beckett."

"Oh."

Someone slipped Carson another piece of ice. Bless them.

"Colonel?"

"Dr. Prater?"

"I need to take that down to the entomology lab."

"Kinda thought you might."

There was the sound of people moving. "You didn't find any more?"

"No. Ronon and Teyla went over Rodney's room a second time and we checked mine, but so far nada."

There was a heavy sigh. "This would be easier if it wasn't in pieces. I'll be in the lab." Prater's retreating footsteps soon disappeared leaving Carson with just Rodney and Sheppard.

"You're going to go back and get another one, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Ronon and Teyla are getting their gear right now. We're taking Lorne and some bug tech with us also."

The hand on his arm shifted, the sound of a chair being moved across the floor.

"Sit down Rodney before you fall down. How are you doing?"

Carson held his breath.

"I'm tired and my head hurts."

"You gonna be okay while we go find spidey?"

"Pu-leeze, this is nothing new. I'll stay here with Carson and keep Prater away."

"About that…. Dr. Mike? Never imagined you into watching that Medicine Woman show."

"The accent, long hair, kinda hot, and no plot. What more does a show need? And before you answer, I know for a fact that you have the entire Baywatch collection."

The banter continued, the hand remained on his arm, and his own aches winning out, Carson felt himself mentally shut down and begin to drift.

oOo


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Dr. Kurt Finkle had to be the biggest nerd on Atlantis. Sheppard watched the entomologist turn two shades of green in the jumper on the way to the planet, and then puke his guts the minute they landed. The good doctor then hiked for a quarter mile at most and not only sprained his left wrist after tripping over a tree root and catching himself with said wrist, but was going to have one heck of a shiner from taking a tree limb head on that Ronon had held back while he passed …only to turn around at the last moment and catch the full force to his face. If the guy had had glasses on it would have been ugly.

But just like McKay, the scientist had a redeeming side that made the colonel proud. Not only did he insist on going down in the hole to fetch some of the eight legged menaces, but he actually let one climb on his arm so that he could get a better look.

"What kind of fool does that?" Ronon grunted out of the side of his mouth, clearly not impressed.

"Same kind that would enter a camp full of cannibals if he thought they had a ZedPM in the big stew pot hanging over the central fire," Sheppard snarked back, bringing a smile to the rest of the team.

Totally absorbed in his find, the scientist was too excited to catch the exchange. "This resembles a brown recluse. But see here, the green stripe on its abdomen, that is a more indicative marking of a hobo," he said, poking it with his computer stylus. In turn, the spider reared, its front legs posed to strike.

"Do you think you should be doing that?" Lorne asked from the other side of the hole.

"Yeah, just put Charlotte there in the container with her buddies," Sheppard added as he hooked a line to the bucket Ronon was holding. "Let 'er rip." Ten seconds later they were dumping a load of the mud in another container. "Better get one more just to be sure."

And then they were done. The recon trip was fast and smooth and before they knew it, they were back on Atlantis…with Finkle again, set to worship some porcelain, but the jumper bay floor was more convenient.

"Major, you can give Dr. Finkle a hand getting all of this down to the labs. Ronon, Teyla and I are going to check on the docs."

"Will do, colonel." Picking up the two containers of mud, Lorne waited while the entomologist double checked the snaps on the container full of spiders. "Ready, doc?" Receiving a distracted nod, the officer grimaced and shuddered towards the others before exiting the bay.

oOo

The trio quietly entered the sterile infirmary, uncertain of what condition they'd find their CMO. The bed Rodney had been using earlier was neatly made and the missing scientist was located asleep, facing Carson on the bed next bed over. A damp rag clenched tightly in his outstretched hand, he appeared uncomfortable and restless.

Teyla gently tugged the rag free, dropping it in the basin of water on the bed table, before wringing it out and placing it over Carson's brow. The heat of fever flushed his face pink and he turned unconsciously towards the coolness of the compress.

"He became delirious after you left," Rodney whispered to their surprise. "Started calling for you, Sheppard; kept repeating that it was his fault and that he was sorry."

Teyla and Ronon both glanced to their leader as he stood there rubbing his face with both hands. Suddenly looking much older, he sighed heavily and stepped closer to Carson's side. "Hey, doc. Heard you were worried about me." He was startled to see the physician struggle to open his eyes. "Easy, easy, Carson. It's all right. I'm okay."

"My fault…" Carson gasped, his left hand clenching the fabric of the sheet beneath his fingers. The pace of the heart monitor picked up slightly.

Sheppard took the rag and wet it once more before putting it back. "No doc, none of this is your fault. Just one more adventure they forgot to mention in the Pegasus brochure before we came here."

Instead of calming, Carson's agitation grew. "My fault," he mumbled again as his breathing increased.

"Colonel Sheppard, please step away from him." Dr. Prater came around the opposite side of the bed and injected a vial into the IV port. "Dr. Beckett has been experiencing hallucinations for over an hour now and I am trying to keep him calm."

"Why?"

"Why?" she repeated, unsure of what he was asking.

"Why is he hallucinating?"

"It's not an uncommon side effect from a poisonous spider bite, and usually a course of antibiotics, analgesics, and keeping the bite site cold is the preferred treatment. But with this being an unknown toxin, our treatment options aren't garnering the same reaction that we'd hoped."

Feeling his team's eyes on him, he asked the question they all were thinking. "So what's next?"

Her arrogance from earlier was gone. "His fever needs reduced, the poison needs an antivenin, or we must at least find some way to draw the toxin out. Hopefully, the spiders you brought back with you might hold some answers."

"And mud," Dex added.

Prater glanced to Ronon and frowned. "Why did you bring mud?"

Sheppard came around the bed to stand near her. "When McKay was down in the hole, I noticed that the spiders didn't go near him, even when he climbed out. He was coated in the mud up to his armpits."

"And you think it might have some property that could counteract the venom?"

"On my planet, using mud was one of the many standard treatments for medicinal purposes," Teyla offered.

Prater looked thoughtfully at the group and then to her patient. Adjusting the ice packs around the swollen hand propped on a pillow, she chewed her upper lip before agreeing. "At this point we don't have a lot of options. You said they took it down to the labs to be tested?"

"I'll show you where," Rodney offered as he started to sit up, trying not to wince at the sudden pounding to the back of his head.

"No, Dr. McKay, you will not. Colonel, it is up to you and your team to keep him where he is. Nurse Flockhart is in the dispensary but will be back shortly if you need anything. Have Julius page me immediately if there is any change."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, hard earned respect slowly shown to her position. As she walked away, he nodded to McKay, "Just where did you think you were going?"

Rodney accepted Teyla's help with his pillows before leaning back. "Who knows what those idiots down there are up to? They could use my help."

"I believe Dr. Finkle is more than competent examining the spiders," she said softly with a smile.

Stepping to the far side of Rodney's bed, Sheppard leaned back and crossed his arms. "Yeah, McKay, you should have seen the guy. He was good. I think we need to put him on a team."

Confusion clouded the scientist's face as he attempted to place the name, and then disbelief. "Finkle? Little nerdy guy that could probably get his butt kicked by Zelenka? On a team? You're kidding me, right?"

"I kinda liked him," Ronon rumbled.

"More than me?"

The big guy shrugged.

Rodney's jaw dropped as he gestured between himself and Beckett. "Carson and I are out of the game one day and look what happens?"

"Well, you know, McKay, it's always good to have back-ups just in case."

Sinking down beneath his blanket, Rodney stared at the ceiling, ignoring the others. "Back-ups," he murmured. It wasn't long before he was snoring softly.

Teyla rinsed the rag again then gently wiped Carson's sweaty face. Draping it over his brow, she then took up the chair Rodney had abandoned earlier to sit at his side.

Ronon sat on the empty bed on the far side of Carson and Sheppard began to pace. Passing the office door one too many times, Julius appeared with another chair, placed it next to Teyla, and sternly pointed.

"Sorry," the colonel whispered and the nurse's glare eased. Now all they could do was wait.

oOo

The next few hours passed slowly. Rodney eventually awoke after an hour, complaining that he was hungry, and Teyla volunteered to gather something for all of them. Ronon needed to stretch his legs so he went with her.

His feet now propped on Teyla's chair, his elbow resting on Carson's bed against the physician's calf, Sheppard checked his watch. "Wonder what's taking so long. How hard can it be to analyze a spider and some mud?"

A snort of disgust came from the other occupied bed. "That's the problem with you military types. You think finding answers is like some lame tv show and the answers are spit out of a trusty computer within a few minutes. Science, my dear colonel, is more than just pushing a button."

"Oh, come on, Rodney, I've watched you work. A few taps here, another button or two there, and wa-la…Answer City."

"You're a moron."

"Boys, can't you be left alone for even a few minutes before you start the name calling?" Both heads snapped around to see Elizabeth standing inside the doorway carrying a tray with several mugs of coffee and some sandwiches. "I ran in to Teyla and Ronon in the mess and offered to bring these to you while they finished their dinner. Don't expect me to do it again."

Sheppard's feet dropped off the extra chair and Rodney struggled to sit up straight without losing his pillows.

"How's Carson," she asked once she passed around the tray and sat in the empty seat beside her second in command.

"Same. Whatever Prater gave him earlier is letting him at least get some rest."

She nodded. "That's good. I spoke with her earlier and she thinks she might have found something in that mud you brought back. All tests did prove that the spiders had an adverse reaction to it."

"I think we already told her that." Legs swung over the side of his bed, Rodney dropped his sandwich on the bed table before shifting to stand.

Blocking the scientist's path with his own legs, the colonel scowled. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I've been laying down most of the day and really need to pee. Are you going to let me pass or do I need to get a note from our supervisor?"

A quick glance to Weir and she nodded. "A note will be good," Sheppard said.

"Get out of my way you gun-toting cretin."

Once Rodney was out of sight, Elizabeth turned around. "How's he holding up?"

"He's fine. Worried of course, but has been pretty quiet about it."

She nodded. "I think we all are. This is one more of those learning lessons that I think we could all do without."

Carson moaned beside them and they both jumped to their feet. "Shh, Carson," Weir crooned, pressing the cool cloth against his cheeks and brow.

"Hot," he mumbled. His left hand shaking as he tried to push the sheet back, the physician suddenly opened his eyes. "They're coming," he whispered frantically, his eyes roaming the room in search of only what he could see.

Glancing up, she met Sheppard's worried gaze. "John, go get the nurse," she ordered before turning back to the sick man. "Shhh, it's okay. You'll feel better soon."

A second later Julius appeared with the colonel in tow. A quick exam and he pulled a syringe from his labcoat pocket, injecting the contents into the IV. "Dr. Prater is on her way now. She wants to try something."

No sooner had the words been said that she came bursting through the doors with Dr. Biro behind her. Both were carrying tubs of the mud and took up either side of Carson's bed. Plunging their hands in the dark mess they both took handfuls and carefully began spreading it over Carson's wounded hand and up his arm. When the doctor tried to pull away, Julius stepped in and held him still.

"Dr. Weir, could you please untie the top of his gown?" Prater asked before she began to apply mud to his chest.

"What the hell's going on?" Rodney hissed at Sheppard's side, having walked in and finding his friend surrounded in activity.

"No clue."

They both stood silently, watching the women's application of mud to Carson's torso and arms before Prater asked Weir to drape the gown shut over the mess. Julius next carefully draped a sheet over Carson's exposed arms.

"How long until you know anything?" Elizabeth asked once they were finished.

Rubbing the back of her wrist across her brow to push her bangs out of the way, Dr. Prater left a smudge across her forehead. "Honestly, this is going to be wait and see. All the tests we tried in the lab had mixed results. The spider venom reacted strangely with the mud, breaking down under the scope, but we couldn't find a way of breaking down the mud itself. When a trace amount was applied directly on one of the spiders… it died."

Rodney didn't like the sound of that. "Well, what about Carson?"

Prater turned to face him, her expression tired. "You were in the mud for over an hour without having any type of reaction. Plus, some of the abnormalities that showed in Dr. Beckett's tests also appeared in yours. I believe you were also bitten at one point but the toxin was neutralized in your system."

Good thing the colonel was behind the scientist because Rodney went pale and needed to be guided to a chair. "I was bitten? When? Where?"

"Easy, Rodney. She said it was neutralized."

"Actually, Colonel, I think most of it was neutralized. The rest is working its way out of his body naturally. When I realized earlier that the bump to his head wasn't as severe as the discomfort he displayed, I began to wonder."

"That's why you've kept me here all day?"

She nodded while wiping excess mud off her hands onto a towel. "Your latest scans have been clear of the abnormality."

"Oh, thank god." Suddenly feeling light-headed, he stood and made it back to his bed with Sheppard's help.

The remaining members in the room drifted about; some to get cleaned up, others once again seated about the bed. All still waiting.

oOo

Carson lay still, a strange feeling covering the upper portion of his chest and arms. His left hand throbbed painfully, but not nearly as bad as he'd remembered from earlier. The headache lodged behind his temple, now mere tremors instead of the agonizing cymbals. And the steady beep of the monitor off to his side was comforting, but the dryness inside his nose and throat induced a tickle to the back of his throat. The slight cough he produced had and instant reaction around him.

"Carson?" The amount of worry in the voice was seldom heard and would be denied vehemently if brought up in conversation.

"R'ney," he whispered back, the air passing his lips dry. Someone must have known because a sliver of ice was slipped to his tongue. He savored the wetness, wanting another when it was gone. "Wha' happened?"

"You got bit by a spider in my room the other night. Should teach you a lesson about sneaking about in the middle of the night," the scientist lightly teased back.

When Carson felt himself start to drift again, a light tap to the shoulder caused him to open his eyes and look up. He was silently pleased to see McKay staring back at him.

"You going to stay awake while I go get the others?" he whispered.

"Why are you whispering?"

"It's the middle of the night. Most people sleep in the middle of the night unless they are doctors."

"Or scientists." That earned him a slight smile.

"I'll be back. If you fall asleep again, I'll tell Radek where you hide your Scotch."

Moments later Rodney returned with Dr. Biro, his eyes bright like a child showing his favorite toy. "See, told you he was awake."

"Dr. Beckett," she said, her own smile stretching the tired lines around her eyes. "You've given us quite a run for the money with this little stunt of yours."

"Not my…fault," he whispered, slowly running out of steam and having a hard time keeping his eyes open. There was one thing he wanted to know before he gave in to the pull. Forcing one more look up he met her questioning gaze. "I feel…funny. Stiff."

"I bet you do, and when you wake up in the morning, I'll tell you why. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep like the doctor ordered."

**Epilogue**

"So, no spidey senses, either of you? No 'tingling, hair up on the back of your neck, troubles coming' thing going on?" Sheppard prodded as they stood out on the pier, watching the sunset.

Carson frowned and Rodney's bottom jaw shifted to the side as both men considered the question.

"I need…" the scientist started.

"…a drink" the physician completed.

"Scotch," they said simultaneously to the colonel's surprise.

"You two are messing with me, aren't you?"

Rodney ignored him, instead walking back beside Beckett. "No more headaches?"

"Nay, lad."

"Off your meds?"

"Aye."

"I've been saving a new bottle for just the right occasion."

"Have ya' now?"

The two men disappeared inside Atlantis, leaving Sheppard standing alone outside the doorway during the final moments of the sunset. Turing back for one last look, a single filament of thread floated lazily through the air, shimmering silver in the fading light.

His mouth dropped open as he watched it float away. They must have missed one.

It was the uncontrolled laughter coming from behind him that forced him to spin around and find the culprits standing together, each holding a piece of fine fishing line high in the air, waving softly in the night breeze.

"Did you see something, Colonel?" Beckett chortled.

"The two of you are going to give me a coronary some day; you do know that, don't you?"

They grinned, separating to make room for Sheppard to join them. "You guys have Scotch?" he asked as they went back in.

The door closed softly behind them, the sun's last rays spreading orange light over the horizon, and one last silver thread drifted out to sea.

**The End.**

A/N: Well?


End file.
